RSV Research

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age in the U.S., making it the most frequent reason for hospitalization in that age group. It's also a major cause of infant mortality worldwide.

Mark Peeples, PhD, Asuncion Mejias, MD, PhD, and Octavio Ramilo, MD, are scientists in the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital who are developing a vaccine to prevent RSV infections.

The team's research is so promising that they received a $6.75 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of South Florida. If successful, the vaccine will save the lives of infants and children throughout the world, preventing more than 57,000 hospitalizations and over 2 million medical visits for infants and children each year.